Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-01-07
How IA wild Girl Lived.


4 WESTERN STORY OF A LoNG-LosT CHILD
RECOVERED FROM THE NEZ PERCEs.
\ correspondent of the Omaha World,
writing from Washington, Idaho, says
The local papers published an account two
months ago of the discovery of wild girl
in the mountains forty miles from this
place. 4 correspondent of the San Fran
cisco Chronicle visited the scene, and from
personal observation furnished that journal
with a full description of the cavern home
and surroundings. As result of the pub
LEGATION one of the greatest mysteries of
the far west has been solved. Mr.. q. "
Holbrook of Denver, Col, read the reports
and recognized the wild girl as his own
daughter. After being mourned as dead
for nine years she comes forth as from the
grave and is restored to her father. A
hunter while wandering in the depths of
the Salmon River Mountains, far from the
habitations of man. saw before him a fair
girl, unclothed except by fleecy wealth of
golden hair. She stood waist deep in the
water of a little lake. She looked with a
nervous stare that betrayed "A wild nature
She sprang from the water and disappear
ed in cavern. The hunter FASTENED to
the camp. 1t was dark when he found his
comrades, who were old hunters, and the
story of the lone girl was related The
three hunters visited the lake next morn
ing. The same fair creature was standing
at the foot of the cliff, behind the water
She was clothed in the skins of wild ami
mails her hair was blown by the light
breeze in fluffy ringlets about her shoulders
She was startled, looked for a moment and
fled. The explorers did not trespass upon
the strange lady's sacred precincts. When
they returned to the valley the story was
.l.l no
respondent, accompanied by some cowboys,
decided to trace the rumor to the fountain
head. They found a beautiful, untrodden
valley, of an area of 100 acres, around two
sides of what is known to the surveyors
maps as Moose lake. Few white men have
ever passed through the dense forests and
rugged depths TO look down into the shell
tered dell No signs of life were apparent
On the border of the lake the entrance TO
the cave could be seen, but only the black
side and arches marked the home Of the OBJ
iect of the search The Investigators pass
ed up the uneven, worn stone steps 10 the
door of the cave. They hallooed and an
echo answered from a well. A stir in the
passage followed, and a frightful visage
was seen, With tangled strings of gray
hair dangling about his shoulders, feeble
Indian tottered forward His attitude was
that of defiance as he placed himself in the
door of his dungeon, but the withered arm
and palsied form were miserable carica-
ture of the warrior of fifty years ago.
He was pushed aside, then reckless men
rushed forward, guided by torch, through
a winding tunnel into great cave, with
many angular recesses and uneven roof and
walls. Corners and columns divided the
vast interior into apartments. One of these
divisions was the wild girls houdoir Seat
ed on robe in commissions of fright was a
well-developed maiden of ~ years, The
torch dazzled her sight. She turned her
face from the intruders, and bowed her
head and sobbed piteously. They did not